Three DIY Deodorant Recipes (Plus our personal trial & error)

Deodorant was my first DIY attempt. I decided to make my own, both for health reasons (the aluminum in store bought deodorant is being linked to breast cancer), and to save on cost. I started making it last Spring and started with a really simple recipe. It worked surprisingly well, but the one thing I did not like about it was that I had to put it on with my fingers.

Simple DIY Deodorant #1:

2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
2 Tbsp Corn Starch
2 Tbsp Baking Soda

Melt coconut oil and pour into a reusable container (like a small gladware container). Mix corn starch and baking soda with the coconut oil. That's it; you;re done! Dip two fingers in the mixture and rub on armpits.

After a while, I got really sick of having to use my fingers to rub it in. Plus, Donald was not so keen on the idea either. So I set out to make some kind of stick deodorant. Both versions gave us horrible rashes. One of the recipes may work for some people. It just depends on your skin sensitivity.

DIY Deodorant #2:

1 1/2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1 Tbsp Organic Beeswax
2 Tbsp Corn Starch
2 Tbsp Baking Soda
Several drops of essential oil

Same method, melt beeswax and coconut oil. Mix all ingredients together and pour into old deodorant containers. Put in fridge for a few hours while the mixture sets.

The advantages to #2 is that the beeswax will keep the deodorant solid even in warmer temperatures, which means you can use it as a stick deodorant, plus the scent is customization.

Unfortunately, we got bad rashes from this deodorant. We can't figure out if it was the beeswax, the essential oil, or the baking soda. Upon googling it, I found that usually reactions from DIY deodorant are because of the amount of baking soda. The ph in baking soda is very different from that of our skin, so too much of it can cause reactions. The trick is finding just the right amount of then because it is what helps keep the stink away! No matter your skin sensitivity, its important that you don't use just any baking soda. The kind that comes in the yellow boxes is synthetic and made in a lab. Because it is not the naturally occurring, it is much harsher on your body. You want to use Bob Redmill's baking soda, which is the naturally occurring kind that they gather from nature! I had also read that many people used arrowroot powder instead of corn starch and I wanted to give that a try. So back to the basics I went!

Simple DIY Deodorant #3 (great for sensitive skin!):

1 1/2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
3 Tbsp Arrowroot Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda

Melt coconut oil and combine all the ingredients.

Pour into old deodorant containers and stick in the fridge to set up.

Because it is the colder season, it should stay solid outside of the fridge. It may not be best to keep it out if you're going to steam up the bathroom, but you could just keep it in your bedroom or during the hot months, (as odd as it sounds) you could keep it in the fridge.

Keep in mind, with DIY deodorant, you don't need to apply as much. One or two swipes is sufficient! If you try and find that #3 is not strong enough for you, try adding in some more baking soda until you find the right balance for you.